Business Office

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Employment

What is the ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, and it provides civil rights protection to individuals with disabilities and guarantees equal opportunity for individuals in the areas of employment, state and local government services, public transportation, privately operated transportation available to the public, places of public accommodation and telephone services offered to the general public.

Which employers are covered by the ADA?

Employers who have at least fifteen (15) employees for a minimum of twenty (20) weeks out of the year are covered by the ADA, as are all governmental employers regardless of the number of employees in the office or unit

What rights exist under the ADA?

The ADA does not require employers to engage in "affirmative action" programs to hire persons with disabilities. It does prevent employers from engaging in discriminatory practices. Examples of prohibited practices are:

An employer may not ask whether an applicant has a disability before making a job offer. Employers can ask whether a job candidate can perform the essential job functions either with or without "reasonable accommodations."

An employer may not recruit in any way that discriminates against applicants with disabilities. For example, if an employer provides background information on the employer's business to applicants, that information must be available in alternative formats (i.e., braille) for applicants whose disability so requires.

An employer cannot fail to make "reasonable accommodations" to the known disability of an applicant or employee during the interview or on the job.

An employer may not offer different benefits to a prospective employee because of that person's disability. For instance, an employer who offers health coverage cannot require a larger co-payment from a disabled employee.

An employer may not require pre-employment medical examinations. An employer may require a medical examination after an offer of employment has been made if all entering employees are subject to such examination, regardless of disability.

Examples of Pre-employment Inquiries Related to Disabilities

Illegal Questions

Legal Questions

Do you have any disabilities? Do you have a disability that would prevent you from performing the essential functions of the job with or without an accommodation?

Are you able to perform the essential functions of the job?

Please complete the following medical history as part of the application process. Have you had any recent or past illness or operations? If yes, list and give dates. What was the date of your last physical exam? What medications do you take?

As part of the hiring process, after a job offer has been made, you will be required to undergo a medical exam. The results will remain confidential and will only be used if emergency medical treatment is necessary or to assist in the determination of a job accommodation, if needed.

Are you able to sit?

Can you sit for four hours at a time? (Assuming this is an essential function of the job.)

Can you carry objects?

Can you carry three-pound boxes to the copier? (Assuming this is an essential function of the job)

Are you colorblind?

Can you distinguish between color bands? (Assuming this is an essential function of the job.)

What is your corrected vision? When did you lose your eyesight? How did you lose your eyesight?

Do you have 20/20 vision? (If this is a job requirement.)

Do you see a psychiatrist for stress?

How well can you handle stress?

Are you an alcoholic? How often do you drink alcoholic beverages?

Do you drink alcoholic beverages?

What is wrong with your leg?

How did you break your leg? (If it is obvious the person's leg is broken because the person is wearing a cast.)

How often were you sick?

What was your attendance record? Can you demonstrate how you would perform the following job functions?

Why do you use a wheelchair and will we have to make any accommodations for the wheelchair?

Will you need any accommodation to participate in the recruiting process?

Tell me all of your disabilities.

What are your job skills, educational background, and prior work experiences?

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, copyright holder. www.naceweb.org.

Preparing to write a resume is an important step in the resume writing process. Taking some time initially to determine what should be included in a resume and how the data should be organized will help in developing an effective resume.

Record all of the experiences that might be significant to be included in a resume.

Determine which experiences relate the most to your career choice – These areas should be emphasized on the resume and other areas may be included if space allows.

Since an employer usually spends about 45 seconds initially scanning a resume, it is essential that related skills are listed closer to the top of the resume.

RESUME WRITING

After determining the organization and content of your resume, focus on the actual writing of the resume. The following information will detail important aspects to include in typical sections found on a resume.

Suggested Resume Categories

You should select categories that highlight your skills for the specific situation.

Include the name of the school, location (city/state), your major and the dates you attended the school.

Include your graduation date (or expected date) as well as the type of degree, certificate or diploma received.

Once you are in college, you do not need to include your high school education.

Include your Grade Point Average (GPA) on your resume if your GPA is 3.0 or higher.

Skills

Include computer (software and hardware), business-related skills, or language fluency.

A computer skills section is essential on a resume.

List the programs individually instead of as a package (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access instead of Microsoft Office).

Any knowledge of foreign languages should be listed and broken down by level of oral and written skills and should be mentioned separately.

Experience/Internships

Your work history should be listed in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent experience first. Each experience should include the Position Title, Name of Employer, Location (City and State), Dates of Employment (Month and Year) and a Description (short action statements describing your duties).

Be specific in your descriptions. Describe the details or projects, reporting relationships and what you did. Recent graduates should describe participation in professional situations with appropriate descriptions such as summer work, internship, freelance or part-time work.

When describing a current job, action statements should be in the present tense while past positions should be described in the past tense. These descriptions are usually incomplete sentences that are bulleted to make them easy to read and always start with an action verb to provide an immediate idea of the types of skills being used. Qualify and quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. An example could be “recruited and trained five new employees.”

Activities/Honors/Professional Memberships

Activities, Honors, and Professional Memberships can be combined or listed separately. Items included in this area are usually listed on one line. If all activities and honors are connected to your current institution, you do not need to list it with the activity.

FORMATTING RESUMES

Paper

Resumes should be printed on high quality, letter size, cotton or linen/cotton paper a cream or white color works best. Cover letters and reference lists should also be printed on this paper.

Font and Margin Size

In order for a resume to be easy to read, font size should be between 11 and 12 with a fairly simple type of font. Some fonts you can use are Ariel, Verdana or Times New Roman. With the exception of your name, font size should be consistent throughout the resume. Margins should be at least .5 on the top and bottom and .7 on the left and right.

Length

Most resumes of entry-level graduates should be limited to one page. Accomplishments and work experiences need to be rather significant before expanding a resume to two pages.

Layout

The resume format should be consistent throughout the document. All dates, locations, job titles, etc. should be in the same position for each description. The layout should be easy to read and allow for some spacing to ensure it is pleasing to the eye. Avoid using resume templates as it limits the editing, spacing, and font selections that may be used.

Different Versions

Create different versions of your resume emphasizing different skills and experiences if you are seeking employment in different types of fields. You also want to create different versions of your resume and cover letter to match each company you are applying to.

DO’S & DON’TS OF RESUME WRITING

Do’s

Proofread your resume and have three other people proofread it is well. Spell check cannot be relied upon and an error-free resume is essential. Resumes with errors are likely to be dismissed by employers.

Verb tense should be in present tense for any work or activity you are currently performing and in past tense for anything that you have completed.

Dates listed should always include the year, and, if you desire, the month, but do not include the actual day. Dates should be written in the same format throughout the resume.

Work status information such as citizenship, visa, or residency status may also be included on a resume.

Keep resume at one to two pages, in length in order to describe your key highlights and accomplishments to show you are qualified.

Don’ts

Street addresses, zip codes, supervisor names, and phone numbers are not necessary. City and state should be listed for each employer or school mentioned.

Age, sex, marital status, height, weight, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and personal photos should never be included on a resume. The only personal information needed should be your name, address, phone, and e-mail.

Hobbies or interests sections may be included on a resume if it relates to your field and space allows and should be a brief (2-4 items) list. Only list items related to your field of work or to the career area.

Salary information should not be included on a resume. If an employer requests a “salary history” or “salary requirements,” include a salary range that you are seeking in your cover letter.

Abbreviations other than “GPA” should not be used on a resume. Acronyms may be used if the title is first written out in this manner: Marygrove College (MG).

Parentheses should be avoided. If the information is important enough to have on your resume, it does not need to be in parentheses.

BEFORE & AFTER BULLET POINT SAMPLES

Before: Worked with businesses to carry out United Way fund-raising goals.

After: Partnered with more than 20 area businesses to raise $15k for United Way, exceeding the goal by 23%

Resume Rubric

Resume is average, needs improvement to rise to the "top of the stack."

Resume needs significant improvement and would be discarded during screening

Format

This resume fills the page but is not overcrowded. There are no grammar or spelling errors. It can be easily scanned.

This resume almost fills the page, but has some uneven white space. There may be a single spelling or grammar error.

The font and spacing of this resume are not appealing and cannot be easily scanned. There are spelling errors and grammatical mistakes.

This resume is either one-half page or two to three pages long. The font is too big or may be hard to read. There is more white space than words on the page. There are multiple spelling and/or grammar errors.

Education Section

This section is organized, clear, and well defined. It highlights the most pertinent information and includes: institution and its location, graduation date, major, degree, GPA, study abroad (as appropriate), and any relevant course work.

This section is well organized and easy to read. It includes institution and its location, graduation date, major, and degree. GPA and “extra” information, such as study abroad and course work are missing.

Information such as institution and its location, graduation date, and major are included, but degree and GPA are not listed. This section is not well organized and there is no order to how information is formatted.

This section is missing the most crucial information. Institution is listed, but not its location and graduation date is missing. The major is included, but not degree. No GPA is stated.

Experience Section

This section is well defined, and information relates to the intended career field. Places of work, location, titles, and dates are included for each position. Descriptions are clear and formatted as bullets beginning with action verbs. (This section could be split into related and other experience.)

Places of work, location, titles, and dates are included for each position. Descriptions are formatted as bullets beginning with action verbs, but are not detailed enough to help the reader understand the experience. Information does not relate 100 percent to the intended career field.

Descriptions are not presented in bulleted lists that begin with action verbs. Instead, complete sentences in paragraph form are used to describe positions. Places of work are included for each position, but not locations, dates, and titles.

There is no order to the descriptions of each position. Descriptions are not detailed and don't illustrate the experience. No locations and dates of employment are listed.

Honors/ Activities

This section is well organized and easy to understand. Activities and honors are listed, and descriptions include skills gained and leadership roles held. Dates of involvement are listed.

This section includes all necessary information, but is difficult to follow. Leadership roles within organizations are listed, but skills are not defined. Dates of involvement are listed.

This section is missing key information such as leaderships positions held or dates of involvement. Organizations are listed; the organization, not individual involvement in each, are described.

This section is missing—or contains very little—information. Organization titles or dates of involvement are not included, and there are no descriptions.

Marygrove College Career Resource Center offers resources and services to help our students identify and prepare students for their careers. In addition, information on scholarships and summer Internships are available and updated regularly. Students are encouraged to visit the Career Center on a weekly basis for updates.

Career Resources

Books, videos, magazines, catalogs

Career Assessments

Career Speakers

Community Presentations

Internet based career exploration

Job searches

Employability Skills

Interviewing skills

Dressing and attire for interviews and work

Job ettiquette training

Resumes writing

Job assistance

Dinning ettiquette

Post- Secondary Education & Training

Graduate and speciality college applications

catalogs

resource books

Campus visits

Career Fairs

External Career Planning and Job Posting Web Sites

Here are links to web sites that will help you develop, plan an interesting and rewarding career, and find a job.

SELF-ASSESSMENT>> Monster.com: Career Center Part of the popular Monster.com job posting site, the Career Center has question and answer forums for job seekers of all types. Check out the "Intern to CEO" link, choose "Campus," choose "General Resources," and then "Quizzes and Tools" which takes you to multiple online assessments that help you explore your personality, interests, abilities and more. You can also link to their job posting sites.

>> Keirsey Temperament Web SiteTwo "personality" tests based on the Myers-Briggs Temperament Indicator, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and the Character Sorter will give you personal insight which may help you understand why you thrive in some jobs and work environments and struggle in others. You can link to many related sites to learn more.

>> Personality and IQ TestsThis site has a large collection of assessments of various types, which might be interesting or fun to complete. All can be completed online with immediate results.

>> The Career KeyThe Career Key, developed by Lawrence K. Jones, Ph.D., is based on Holland's work. Users sign in and are asked to take a few quick surveys of jobs that might interest them, what they like to do, their abilities, how they see themselves, and what they value. A RIASEC score is generated based on the answers, and users are encouraged to explore the areas with the highest scores and the occupations related to them. The inventory can be completed in less than ten minutes, and users are encouraged to bookmark the results page so that they can return and explore more options. The occupations that users identify as promising careers are linked to the Occupational Outlook Handbook so that they can learn detailed, accurate information about each. The web site includes self-help modules on topics like choosing a college major, making high-quality decisions, and learning more about the world of work. The professional manual is provided online.

>> CareerStormCareer Storm in Finland designs interactive career development tools for professionals, and some are offered free through its web site. Storm Navigator is designed to assist users with career decisions and planning, whereas Storm Dream helps educated adults create a vision of their ideal career and map the actions necessary to make that dream a reality. Each tool starts with an overview of the process, time needed for each exercise, and whether you will need to print out or save any information to a diskette. Some of the tools requires the user to create a login and password; this same function has the advantage of allowing users to stop in the middle of an activity and continue at a later time. Storm Navigator is available in several languages through a partnership with Monster.com.

>> MAPP - Motivational Assessment of Personal PotentialMAPP is an interest survey designed by the International Assessment Network in Minneapolis, MN. A free sample MAPP Career Analysis is provided to help individuals identify their preferences for working with people or things and other job characteristics; it also suggests some occupations that match these preferences. The assessment is offered in English, French, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish; it can be completed in about 25 minutes. It is possible to stop the test and resume at a later time. The resulting report is sent to the user via e-mail, outlining his or her "natural motivations and talent for work" and matching these to five occupational descriptions from O*Net.

>> Personality, IQ, and Entrepreneur Tests OnlineThis is another eclectic collection of online tests allowing users to try a variety of assessments with varying objectives. As many of these tests have no authoritative basis, counselors are urged to look at this collection carefully before directing clients to this resource.

>> Queendom.comQueendom offers a variety of personality, intelligence, and health tests and quizzes. Its motto is "serious entertainment," a reflection of dedication to providing users with "an avenue for self-exploration with a healthy dose of fun." The people behind this site include psychologists, and statistics and background information on most of the tests are available online. Users can register free, but paying subscribers gain access to additional resources and services.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT>> The Jobhunters Bible Created and maintained by Richard Bolles, author of "What Color is Your Parachute," this site is a well-organized and comprehensive guide, with commentary, on Internet resources for all aspects of career development and job search.

>> True Careers A meta-site, allowing you to search multiple job posting sites in one sweep. Also contains career management information, salary surveys, and employer information.

>> Job Web Part of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) web site, Job Web is a library of sources for job search, career information, and reference materials.

>> Flipdog A comprehensive career management site, which offers job postings, employer profiles and research, links to resources for job seekers and more.

>> Minnesota Careers This simple guide from the Minnesota Department of Employment Security helps younger persons answer the questions "What do I want to do?" and "How do I get there?" while also planning a career path. The site includes a short interest inventory based on Holland's RIASEC model and offers facilitator and parental resource guides.

>> nextSteps.orgThis is a guide to career planning, exploration, and decision making for young persons aged 15 to 24 with interactive tools that can be used as they work through the steps and exercises. The career planning process is divided into three steps: Discover Yourself, Discover Your Options, and Make a Decision; and each step also links to additional resources. Users must have javascript and cookies enabled in order to complete the many online assessments and inventories. Teachers' guides are available for download, and there is a place for persons to submit questions via e-mail. NextSteps.org is a service of the Calgary Youth Employment Center in Canada.

>> University of Waterloo Career Services - Career Development Manual The University of Waterloo's Career Services Center developed the Career Development Manual, a six-step process to aid users in career and life planning. Starting with Self-Assessment and working through Occupational Research, Decision Making, Employment Contacts, Work, and Career/Life Planning, users review articles under each area and work through various exercises designed to help them not only find a job but also develop and maintain a satisfying career.

>> IMDiversity IMDiversity is a one-stop career and self-development site devoted to serving the cultural and career-related needs of all minorities. Sponsored by The Black Collegian, this is an excellent resource for all minority and diversity candidates. The many "villages" include resources and information specific for each group, and those without a separate village can find information in the global village.

OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION>> America’s Career InfoNet This service, part of America's Career Kit sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, provides information on hundreds of occupations and requirements for entry. The Career Information section shows wage and trend reports, occupational requirements, and much more. The Career Tools section help users check employability, explore occupations, look for employers, and review occupational licensing information for various states. There is also a financial aid advisor designed to suggest ways to pay for the training or education necessary or desired in order to move to the next step in a career path.

>> Career Guide to IndustriesThe Career Guide to Industries provides information on available careers by industry, including the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training and advancement, earnings and benefits, employment outlook, and lists of organizations that can provide additional information. It is a way to find out who is needed by various industries and assess a lateral move from one industry to another. Like the OOH and the OOQ, this guide comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

>> Careers OnLine Virtual Careers ShowThis directory contains over 1,000 job and occupational descriptions from the Australian Department of Education, Employment, Training, and Youth Affairs. Users can search the Careers Show by keyword, browse by interest group, or scan the list alphabetically. The information is written for citizens and residents of Australia. While it offers some interesting career options, non-Australian users will need to check resources more specific to their country for relevant education and training information.

>> Career Guides from JobStar This site is one of the most comprehensive collections of career information, including career assessment, where to look to find trends, career guides in libraries, and links to descriptive information for hundreds of occupational fields. Other sections of this web site cover job information and salaries.

>> O*NET Online O*NET OnLine was created to provide broad access to the O*NET database of occupational information, which includes information on skills, abilities, work activities, and interests associated with occupations. O*NET includes information for over 950 occupations, and the occupational titles and codes are based on the 1999 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. Users can search for occupations by title or keyword in the description or browse by job family. The Skill Search allows the user to find occupations that match a list of current or soon-to-be-acquired skills. Users can also compare up to ten related occupations to one selected from the list. This is a powerful tool, and it is recommended that counselors become familiar with it before recommending it to clients. Low-vision and plain text versions of O*NET are available from this site.

>> The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) This is the current edition of the printed guide produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Users can search the handbook using keywords to find where their interests fit in the top 250 occupations in the United States. Users can also browse occupational families, look for options, plan career paths, or see all occupations in alphabetical order by using the letters at the top of the front page. The OOH also includes well-written articles on how to find a job, evaluate a job offer, and locate career information. It includes predictions about tomorrow's jobs and links to related information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

>> Occupational Outlook Quarterly (OOQ) Published quarterly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this magazine features articles with practical information on jobs and careers. It covers a wide variety of career and work-related topics such as new and emerging occupations, training opportunities, salary trends, and results of new studies from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Articles are usually presented in HTML and PDF format, the latter requiring the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and/or print them. Past articles are also accessible by selecting either the topic-oriented Index or the individual issue Archive from the left menu.

EMPLOYMENT TRENDS>> Labor Market Information State by StateLabor market information includes statistics on employment, wages, industries, and other factors affecting the world of work. The links from The Riley Guide take users to labor market information for the individual states so that data can be compared across states.

>> State Occupational Projections 1998-2008This site contains projections of occupational employment growth developed for all states and the nation as a whole. One of the most important uses of these is to help individuals make informed career decisions. Users can review information on projected employment growth for an occupation in several states or select several occupations and compare their growth projection in one state only. The projections found here are usually updated on a two-year cycle.

>> America’s Labor Market Information System (ALMIS) A centralized database from the Federal Government which provides links to the One Stop Career Center systems, Employer Database – information on over 10 million U.S. employers, America’s Job Bank – job listings from each of the 50 states, America’s Talent Bank - a resume databank searchable by employers, America'’ Learning Exchange – a joint venture of ALMIS and the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.

SALARY INFORMATION>> CareerJournal from the Wall Street Journal This site's information on salary and hiring includes articles and salary charts for several job functions, occupational areas, and industries. Varying levels of experience within a job area from entry-level to senior management are covered. There are also articles and information on negotiations, regional pay, employment trends, and much more.

>> JobStar Salary Surveys JobStar has put together what many consider to be the finest collection of salary surveys online. Combined with lists of books to request from local libraries and articles from experts such as Jack Chapman, this site guides users for salary research.

>> Salary.com This site offers users free access to more than just salary data. Salary.com gives users information on total compensation -- not only what is in the paycheck but also the benefits and perquisites received on the job. The Salary Wizard allows users to search for base, median, and top-level earnings in hundreds of jobs in many occupational areas; many of these projections are local as well as national. Salary.com uses a team of compensation specialists to add value to salary surveys done by others, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Users will find helpful articles and exercises on figuring things like benefits, stock options, bonuses (and how to get them), and salary negotiations. Users can also buy a Personal Salary Report, a very detailed examination of their earning power based on their personal work history and geographic location.

>> SalaryExpert.com A free service of Baker Thomsen Associates, SalaryExpert.com offers two free salary tools with salary levels, benefits, and cost-of-living figures for job fields in specific regional areas. The first tool covers the United States and Canada whereas the second covers other international areas.

>> Wageweb This site includes wages and salary information for a variety of typical jobs in business. Provides the weekly and annual averages, and highs and lows.

>> Salary Calculator Thinking of relocating for a job? This site will help you compare your salary to cost of living factors in one state versus another.

TRADE AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS>> American Society of Association ExecutivesThe American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is a resource for locating a professional association in any field of interest. Click on the link for "find associations, people, businesses" and pull down the extensive menu of searchable directories. Start with the gateway to associations before trying other sources, searching by keyword, alphabet, or by city and state.

>> The Scholarly Societies Project Users can search or browse this list of scholarly, professional, and labor organizations, maintained by the University of Waterloo Library. Listings are limited to societies with scholarly, academic, or research goals with preference given to membership-based societies with a national or international scope.

>> Union Resource Network Organized under the Communications Workers of America, the Union Resource Network (URN) is an index of union web sites. Users can search for union web sites by union name or its location. There is also a list of new union web sites, on the front page along with a link to international (non-US) unions.

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION>> CollegeNET CollegeNET allows users to browse information on colleges by various criteria, including geography, tuition, and enrollment. More than 500 college applications are available to be completed and submitted online. The site also includes financial aid and scholarship information.

>> COOL: College Opportunities On-LineCollege Opportunities On-Line (COOL) is a research tool that allows access to information about more than 9,000 vocational-technical schools, colleges, and universities in the United States. Users may search COOL by geographic region, state, city, type of institution, or instructional program, either alone or in combination. COOL is a product of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Post secondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

>> GoCollege GoCollege is a searchable guide to colleges, but it also helps users prepare for the SAT and ACT exams, allowing free access to practice tests, though registration is required. Check the site's front page regularly for the dates. Users are told, "Our practice tests are written by testing experts. Your tests are saved under your user ID for future reference."

>> Peterson's Peterson's, the well-known publisher of guides to colleges, provides this resource for information on undergraduate and graduate programs, summer work, and professional training and distance education programs. Some areas and resources are free to all users, whereas others can be accessed only through a paid subscription.

>> RWM Vocational School DatabaseThis is a database of private, post-secondary vocational-technical schools in all 50 states, organized by state and training programs offered. All the schools listed are state licensed or accredited, but the information is limited to the institution's name, address, and phone number. At the top of each state is a link to resources for that state from the U.S. Department of Education. Visually impaired users should be aware that there is a text only alternative to the graphic map of the United States at the top of that page.

>> Training & Education Center from CareerOneStop In this resource users can find information on degree programs, specialty training opportunities, financial aid, certification and accreditation, and licensing for the various states. You can also learn how career information can help with education and training plans. There are links to additional training and education information and articles on how to ensure the quality of the training before signing up for a program. CareerOneStop is the new gateway site for employment and career information from the US Department of Labor and the state employment services.

>> USNews.com: Education The publisher of U.S. News and World Report has produced one of the most outstanding guides to educational information on the Web. Dedicated sections of this site focus on college, community college, graduate school, e-learning, and financial aid; and each is filled with quality news, information, and resources. USNews.com also lists the annual rankings of colleges and graduate schools.

DISTANCE EDUCATION>> Distance Education and Training Council The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is a non-profit educational association that sponsors a nationally recognized accrediting agency for distance education programs. Users visiting the web site can find lists of accredited high school and college degree programs, including some offered by federal and military schools. There is also a list of general areas of study offered through the accredited programs, with specific course and institutional information under each.

>> Globewide Network Academy The Globewide Network Academy promotes access to educational opportunities for anybody, anywhere. Users can search the catalog for distance learning opportunities ranging from pre-college to post-graduate, covering most anything in between. Users must contact the listed institution directly for admission and registration procedures. With over 23,000 courses in more than 2,000 programs worldwide, visitors can almost certainly find anything they need.

SEMINARS, SHORT COURSES, AND CERTIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES>> Seminar Information Service SIS lists over 360,000 live, in-person seminars, classes, workshops, corporate training events, and conferences offered annually. Users can use the Quick Search to find upcoming programs by title or topic, browse the category lists to see what is offered in any given area, or target upcoming programs by location. Users can enroll online.

>> SmartPlanet Smart Planet offers over 600 online courses in information technology. Some of the courses are self-study; others are instructor-led. Smart Planet offers a money-back guarantee for customers who are not satisfied.

FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION>> College is Possible This is a resource guide for parents, students, and education professionals made possible by the Coalition of America's Colleges and Universities. This site walks a user through preparing for college, choosing a college, and paying for college with simple information as well as links to other resources. Some material is in Spanish, much of the cited resource material can be downloaded online at no cost, and the advice and information given is sound. There is also a section dedicated to adults who have decided to return to college or are now deciding to attend for the first time.

>> FinAid, The Financial Aid Information Page Established in 1994, FinAid is possibly the finest single source for information and resources for all types of educational financial aid. It also offers a plan for figuring out debt loads and payback, facts on scams, and alerts.

>> Plan for College from SallieMae Sallie Mae has helped thousands achieve their dream of higher education by providing funds for educational loans, primarily federally guaranteed student loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). This free site allows students and parents to learn about many ways to pay for college. The section called Wiredscholar helps students and families prepare for entrance exams, evaluate and select the best college, and apply for and finance the cost of college. Financial Aid 101 introduces users to key terms and concepts for reviewing various funding options. It also offers a free scholarship database and free Paying for College seminars around the United States.

>> The Student Guide to Financial AidThe Student Guide is the most comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Grants, loans, and work-study are the three major forms of student financial aid available through the federal student financial assistance programs. Updated each award year, The Student Guide provides information about the programs and how to apply for them and includes the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The guide is available in English and Spanish.

APPRENTICESHIPS AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES>> Apprenticeship Information from the U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation. This page from the Department of Labor web site gives users information about how to find and apply for apprenticeship programs in the United States.

>> The Corporation for National and Community Service Established in 1993, this organization oversees programs engaging more than a million Americans each year in service to their communities. The Corporation's three major service initiatives are AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the Senior Corps. It will also be participating in the new USA Freedom Corps announced by President Bush in January, 2002.

>> The Job Corps Job Corps is the nation's largest residential education and training program for disadvantaged youth between the ages of 16 and 24. The Job Corps operates more than 100 centers around the country and in Puerto Rico, with a focus on training the whole person. Information on the centers, how to apply for the program, and other benefits can be found here.

>> Peace Corps This site contains background information on the organization, recruiting, diversity, and reach of this volunteer service program. It is developed for audiences of various ages.

>> America's Job Bank (AJB)This site is a joint effort of the 2,000 offices of the state employment service and the U.S. Department of Labor. Users can search the database by selecting a job category and entering a zip code to find all openings within a specific area. The Keyword Search allows a user to target jobs requiring specific degrees or licensing/certification or specific job titles. Transitioning military personnel can use the military specialty code to match skills to jobs in the public sector. America's Job Bank (AJB) is one of the largest job sources online and is not limited to the continental United States. Users can also connect to and search the databases of individual state, district, and territorial employment services. It is suggested that users search both the local state job bank and the main AJB site to review all available jobs in any given area.

>> CareerBuilder CareerBuilder has evolved into one of the larger and more dynamic sites for job and career information. Registration is free of charge and allows a job seeker to store a resume online without posting it in the database. Registered users can create up to five personal search profiles to track new jobs added to the database, and an e-mail message can be generated to a user when a match is discovered.

>> College Grad Job Hunter This website, based on the book of the same title, is a cornucopia of resources and information to guide college students and others through a complete job search. It has job databases for those seeking internships, entry-level job seekers, and experienced job seekers as well as a searchable database of more than 8,000 employers. It also offers advice on careers, the job search, resume preparation, and more.

>> FlipDog FlipDog uses "crawler" technology to visit employer websites and copy those listings to its site. Employers can also list themselves voluntarily and have the option of paying to have their job postings featured in a more prominent position.

>> Monster.com Monster.com is probably the most recognized name in the online job search industry. It offers an impressive variety of job and career resources for everyone from college students to contractors to chief executives; most are served with their own communities that include job listings and career advice. It also offers several industry/job field communities, including healthcare, human resources, and finance.

>> MonsterTRAK Formerly known as JobTrak, this site has joined the Monster.com community. As in the past, users must be affiliated with a member college or university in order to access the job postings on this site. Students and alumni should call the career center for access information. This site has been cited as an excellent resource for executive as well as entry-level opportunities

>> NationJob Network This site features an impressive collection of job openings, company information, and a variety of ways to search the database. It divides into many sources of occupation- and/or industry-related resources, creating an excellent source of information for all.

>> Recruiter's Online Network This network is "an association of executive recruiters, search firms, and employment professionals around the world who have created a virtual organization on the Internet." Job seekers can search the database of openings posted by the participating recruiters, post their resumes for consideration by all members, and search for recruiters working with a particular industry or occupational field for direct contact. This site also includes tips on job hunting and articles on using recruiters in the job search.

>> Top Echelon Top Echelon is a cooperative network of over 2,500 recruiters. It has some good listings ranging from entry level to the six-figure range. Users can also search the recruiter listings and contact some of the recruiters directly.

>> DeepsweepDeepsweep is a free non-profit job board which includes job postings from all walks of the non-profit sector. Positions advertised include entry-level vacancies and career opportunities for seasoned, non-profit staff as well as senior-level executives. *Note, this link was applied for by Deepsweep.

JOB BANKS SPECIALIZED>> Sciencejobs.com Primarily a site for biology related jobs, but with lots of categories and highlighted employers.

>> Teachers @ Work This site is designed exclusively for teachers to perform a nationwide job search.

RESEARCHING EMPLOYERS>> Company Research Guide, Rutgers University Libraries The Rutgers librarians have created this resource to guide researchers through the process of learning about a company. Listings for the top business research sources (both print and online) are provided, and the site is organized by the logical steps of the research process.

>> Hoover's Online Hoover's is a well-known and respected publisher of business almanacs. Users can access a tremendous amount of free information from the website, but paid subscribers will have access to even more detailed profiles. Hoover's online covers U.S. and non-U.S. companies as well as Initial Public Offerings (IPOs).

>> Vault.com Online services offer "insider guides to employers." These consist of interviews with employees of the organization or the employers themselves. They are good insights into the company's culture, interview process, and career development possibilities. In addition, both Vault.com and Wetfeet.com offer job and resume boards along with career and job search advice.

>> Wetfeet.com Online services offer "insider guides to employers." These consist of interviews with employees of the organization or the employers themselves. They are good insights into the company's culture, interview process, and career development possibilities. In addition, both Vault.com and Wetfeet.com offer job and resume boards along with career and job search advice.

DIRECTORY OF ONLINE EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION>> Job-Hunt.org One of the earliest guides to the Internet job search, Job-Hunt.org offers numerous well-selected links to job search resources for the world. Users can search for job sites by location, profession, industry or job type, and site owner. Susan Joyce has included several other useful articles and information resources, including articles on protecting privacy online and choosing a job site.

>> JobHuntersBible.com This online guide to the job search is developed and maintained by Richard Bolles. The Job Hunter's Bible is a supplement to Bolles' bestseller, What Color Is Your Parachute?, and is spiced with his comments and observations on the job search and the decision-making process. Included on this site is his Net Guide to the best job search and career information sites online.

>> JobStar JobStar began as a California job search guide, but it has always been a highly useful resource for everyone. Now it is purposely expanding to new regions in the U.S. JobStar is one of the best places to learn how and where to look for employment both online and offline. Included in the wealth of information are articles on the hidden job market, salary negotiation, and numerous other topics.

>> The Riley Guide: Employment Opportunities and Job Resources on the Internet Having the distinction of being the first guide to the Internet as a tool for finding new employment, Margaret Riley Dikel started this site in January, 1994, and continues to maintain it as a free resource. The Riley Guide links to hundreds of sources of information for job leads, career exploration, and potential employers. It has information to help users explore new careers, new places to live, and new education and training options.

ONLINE COUNSELING>> ReadyMinds Specializing in career counseling, Ready Minds offers one-on-one counseling through online and telecommunications. The service begins with online assessments covering the individual's education and career history, personal interests/skills/values, and the Self-Directed Search(tm). This information is analyzed, and the individual is matched with a counselor. Services are available for career changers, job seekers, and students. All counselors working with Ready Minds must have or be willing and able to apply for national certification from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

USEFUL INTERNET SITES>> Newslink.org American Journalism Review site offering links to hundreds of newspapers and magazine.

>> Work.com Business news of all kinds, and links to other information on business.

>> Ask the Employer This is a great site for a jobseeker or for someone just starting a job. Information and advice to help land a job, as well as on how to get off on the right foot and stay successful.

>> Students.gov This is a comprehensive site for information on any kind of federal agency or service.

Marygrove College is pleased to announce that it has established the Marygrove Career Link, a new on-line job bank and web-based recruiting tool. Employers can create their own profile, post available job openings or internship opportunities, and market those positions directly to Marygrove students and alumni.

To access the Marygrove Career Link, go to https://marygrove-csm.symplicity.com/employers. Click on “Register” or “Register and Post Local Job,” as appropriate. You’ll have the opportunity to complete and submit your employer profile, link you your company’s web page, and create posts for any job openings you may have.

The Career Link administrator will review your profile and job post submissions and process them through to Marygrove’s Career Link or contact you with any questions.

If you experience any difficulty logging into the site, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Career Services Office, at (313) 927-1844.

We hope you will add your company to our growing list of employers. Thank you for your interest in Marygrove’s students and Alumni; they are exceptional people!